“I have sent my child to such a course because I don’t want him to fall behind, as his peers are all learning to write at their teachers’ places,” says Uyen, a mother whose child is enrolled at Thanh Xuan Nam Kindergarten in Thanh Xuan District.

Another mother who is going to send her kid to Nguyen Tri Phuong Elementary School, situated in Ba Dinh District, in four months says many of her daughter’s classmates have nearly dropped out of school to spend time on handwriting practice.

A teacher at Dong Tam Kindergarten complains that sometimes up to ten kids skip class for handwriting courses.

Dong Tam principal Minh Hong says many other schools in the city are faced with the same situation.

Those parents who wish to send their kids to high-profile elementary schools are the most willing to let the preschoolers cut kindergarten classes, Hong adds.

A parent explains that preschool teachers do not provide enough proper handwriting practice so they have to find their own ways to best prepare the kids for the first grade.

In Vietnam, children start pre-school at three and begin first grade at six.

Ho Chi Minh City parents are also rushing to enroll their kids for handwriting classes in preparation for the first grade.

“My kid began learning to write last September,” says a parent whose child is enrolled at a private kindergarten in Tan Binh District.

“I was then afraid he will be unable to catch up with his friends without the handwriting class.”

Another parent in Phu Nhuan District reveals her preschool child has been learning handwriting at an elementary school teacher’s house for nearly a year.

The kid, who writes pretty well now, is completely ready for the first grade, the parent says.

Some even lay out very tight schedules for their children that require them to practice writing most of the day.